5 Tricks For Decorating Your Fireplace Mantel All Year Round

Most homeowners already know exactly what kind of display they want to set up on a new mantel for celebrating the holidays, but that’s only one small section of the year. Unless you want your mantel to sit empty the rest of the year, you’ll need to keep your creativity up and choose some non-seasonal decorations that look great as the seasons change.

Instead of rushing to change your decorations every few months, try these tricks for creating a beautiful mantel display that looks great regardless of the time of the year.

Make Art the Centerpiece

The usual way to decorate a mantel when it’s not the time for holly and tinsel involves at least one large piece of art to draw the eye above the mantel. Some people choose a single large photo or painting centered over the fireplace, but it’s far from the only option. A pair of evenly spaced framed pieces works as well.

For a more eclectic and creative look, try a mixture of differently sized and styled frames and art. It takes a little extra work to arrange a varied collection of framed art in a way that looks coherent, but it’s also easy to freshen up that display by just switching out one or two pieces of art at a time.

Balance Creatively

Aiming for symmetry and visual balance is a major goal for most indoor decorating projects, but that doesn’t mean you need a perfect balance across your mantel. In fact, mantel displays look more exciting and dynamic when you achieve balance with a little asymmetry thrown in for a creative twist.

For example, imagine placing a large and eye-catching vase on one side of the mantel. Instead of sticking the same vase on the other side to balance out the display, consider any other decorative item with the same general size, shape, color, or pattern.

Size or color differences give life to the display while keeping at least one feature constant between the decorative items ties them together enough to prevent a cluttered or disorganized look.

Bring in the Outdoors

Nature-based mantel decorations are inexpensive or free, but they’re all too often chosen as seasonal highlights only. Dried flowers, branches tipped with attractive seed pods, and even living plants can be used all year round as long as they’re not too seasonally themed. Of course, items from your yard or the local nursery are easier to replace than other decorations, making them ideal for the seasonal part of your mantel decor that is regularly updated.

Treat It Like a Shelf

Are you not the kind of decorator who enjoys complex arrangements for decoration alone? Get practical instead and use your mantel as a shelf for holding your favorite books, family photos, and more. If you’ve had a gas fireplace, insert, or wood stove installed, there’s no need to worry about sparks or smoke from damaging any items you choose to store above it.

Reflect the Room

Finally, don’t forget about the power of a mirror. Reflective surfaces make small rooms seem bigger and give you a chance to appreciate the rest of the decor as its reflected again over the mantel. Mirrors are a classic choice for decorating above a mantel when you can’t commit to artwork that you’ll have to see daily. As with framed art, consider adding a few different mirrors for a less traditional and more eclectic style.

With these tricks, you’re ready to decorate any type of mantel you choose from us here at WilliamSmith Fireplaces & Home Accents. We’ll help you pick the perfect fireplace to go with the mantel as well to tie the entire room together.